OVER 200 ANIMALS SUCCESSFULLY TREATED IN MARIATO SCHOOL BY SPAY PANAMA

Images: http://bit.ly/MariatoSpayNeuter

Contact: Patty Chan, (507) 261-5542 doctor@spaypanama.org

Mariato, Panama (October 4, 2016) – Government-sponsored animal welfare group, Spay Panama, has treated over 200 local dogs and cats in the District of Mariato, Republic of Panama. The initiative was led by Mariato local Cathy Mcgovern and supported by the Mariato community who helped fund a community-wide spay and neuter event to help stray animals.

Thanks to funds raised by the local community, Spay Panama examined, spayed, neutered, and administered veterinary care to 219 local dogs and cats on Sunday August 6. The team first had to find, examine and then humanely tranquilize the stray dogs and cats. The animals were then spayed and neutered carefully under sanitary conditions at a clinic set up at Mariato elementary school. Vaccinations, antibiotics and flea and tick medication were also administered to ensure the continued health and safety of the animals and the community. All veterinarians working on the project volunteered their time to undertake the task for free.

Event organizer Cathy Mcgovern said, “At $15 per dog and $40 per cat, the Spay Panama event was a sound investment for the community of Mariato. Humane care for local animals fosters trust between strays and the community, alleviates suffering and prevents unbounded population growth.”

Spay Panama’s Patty Chan said, “Facing the stray animal crisis is a difficult task, but we were able to take a huge leap forward in Mariato. We want to acknowledge the community’s outpouring of support and thank all the volunteers who turned out to bolster a worthy cause. We could not have succeeded without your attendance and help. This is our problem to solve together, and our success is your success. We would like to send special thanks to Cathy McGovern, who organized the event, the doctors who selflessly volunteered their time for these helpless animals and Indiscriminate Animals, who helped round up and feed the dogs of Playa Reina for today’s event.”

In Defense of Animals’ President, Dr. Marilyn Kroplick, welcomed Spay Panama’s initiative, saying, “We applaud Spay Panama’s impressive efforts to accomplish the treatment of so many animals and benefit the entire local community.”

In Panama and around the world, stray dog and cat populations present a difficult problem for animal protection activists and overburdened government officials around the world. According to the World Health Organization, more than 200 million stray animals struggle to survive worldwide. Not only is the overpopulation of stray animals a public health crisis, but it is also a tragedy for animal well-being. There is simply not enough food or shelter for these animals. Pregnant stray animals suffer an even worse fate without the ability to care for themselves, let alone their young. Faced with a choice between the safety of their citizens and an animal’s life, government officials may euthanize stray animals suspected to be sick or pregnant.

As successful as the event was, Spay Panama requires resources to repeat an event on this scale. According to Spay Panama, in order to humanely control the local animal population in Mariato, events the size and scope of this weekends would need to be organized three times each year.

Spay Panama’s Patty Chan said, “Spay Panama’s spay and neuter event showed that, when we work together as a community to raise awareness and educate the public, we can do more than help stray animals in Panama. We can help stray animals in communities across the entire planet.”

Please visit www.spaypanama.org to discover ways you can contribute your time or resources to the animals and communities of Panama.

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Spay Panama is actively working with government, communities, and nonprofits to directly care for animals and raise awareness of the issues they face in order to make Panama a safer and more humane place for all of its inhabitants.

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization with over 250,000 supporters and a 30-year history of protecting animals’ rights, welfare and habitats through education, campaigns and hands on rescue facilities in India, Africa, and rural Mississippi. www.idausa.org